Magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) is a known imaging method that may be used in medicine for diagnostic purposes, in which images are generated of the examination subject, (e.g., inside of the body of a person). To generate images, nuclear spins that are directed in a main magnetic field of the body tissue of the person to be examined are resonantly excited at a high frequency, as a result of which an electric voltage is induced in a receiving coil as a magnetic resonance signal.
Magnetic resonance imaging is increasingly used in minimally invasive interventions. For example, in a stereotaxy with real-time imaging by MRT, a medical instrument is guided to a predetermined treatment point in a patient's brain.
In order to acquire the image data for image generation with a high signal/noise ratio, the receiving coil a local coil arrangement may be used, wherein the local coil arrangement may be placed close to the body of the person to be examined in a region to be examined (e.g., close to the patient's head). The local coil arrangement may include a plurality of individual antennas (e.g., individual coils or loops), which are used to receive the magnetic resonance signal.
The use of a local coil arrangement in an operative intervention is subject to particularly high requirements in terms of hygiene, e.g., regarding the sterility of the local coil arrangement. In order to meet hygiene and cleanliness requirements, the local coil arrangement may be wrapped in a highly sterile foil (also known as a “drape”). This procedure is associated with a comparatively high cost, however. Alternatively, the local coil arrangement is arranged at a comparatively great distance from the point of intervention, which is a disadvantage in terms of image quality.